Remembering V.J.

V.J. Henry, co-founder and chairman of Wild Cumberland, passed away last year. To honor V.J.’s conservation legacy, his daughter Carolyn Rader recently donated $500 to the chapter. Both V.J. and Carolyn have been long-time champions of Cumberland Island’s wilderness.

V.J. earned his doctorate in Oceanography from Texas A & M. He joined the faculty at the University of Georgia and became associated with its Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. His career included teaching, research, and administration. He was on the faculty of both Georgia State University and Georgia Southern University, where he directed the Applied Coastal Research Lab on Skidaway Island in Savannah until his retirement. He also served on the Board of the Cumberland Island Museum.

V.J. co-authored the geology chapter in the “Ecology of the Cumberland Island National Seashore” report to the National Park Service. He was also involved with research on dredging at the Kings Bay Naval Base.

V.J. cared deeply about the Georgia coast. In addition to his work with Wild Cumberland, he also was on the board of the Center for a Sustainable Coast. Although he found dealing with the NPS challenging, he spent years trying to guide the agency in protecting Cumberland Island. Wilderness Watch and Cumberland Island have lost a true friend.